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Steamed rice is a popular Asian side dish made by cooking rice with water and steam. It can be made with any type of rice and sometimes includes additional flavors. To prevent stickiness, the rice should be rinsed before cooking. The rice is cooked by boiling and then simmering while covered. Overcooking and undercooking can be avoided by ensuring all the water is absorbed before removing from heat. After cooking, the rice is allowed to rest before serving.
Popular in Asian cuisine, steamed rice is simply white rice that is cooked with water and steam. The rice is simmered while covered so that no moisture can escape. As the grains absorb moisture, they swell and soften. This is sometimes known as the absorption method. Often served as a side dish, steamed rice is also used as an ingredient in main dishes.
Steamed rice can be made with any type of long-grain or short-grain rice. Although the only ingredients needed for this dish are water and rice, salt is sometimes added as well. Occasionally, other flavors may be included, such as lemongrass. The tea bags could be placed in the pan with the rice to add flavoring as well.
While it’s simple to make, steamed rice is often too sticky. Stickiness is the result of excess starch on the grains. The starch can be removed by rinsing the rice three to five times. After the rice has stopped coloring the water a milky white, enough starch would have been removed to prevent excessively sticky rice.
After rinsing, the rice is placed in a pan with water and brought to a boil. When the water begins to boil, the heat is reduced and the pan is covered. During this period the rice is left to rest undisturbed. It is important that the pan remains covered and that the lid is secure throughout the cooking process to ensure no moisture escapes. If salt, lemongrass, or other flavorings are added, they are included before the water boils.
During this process, the rice absorbs both water and the steam that is created by the heated water. Rice swells with added water, tripling the volume of rice, so 1 cup (about 237 mL) of uncooked rice will make 3 cups (about 710 mL) of cooked rice. Overcooking or undercooking is often a problem when making steamed rice. Undercooking can be avoided by ensuring all the water in the pan has been absorbed by the rice before removing it from the heat. Conversely, overcooking can be avoided by ensuring that the rice does not sit on the heat after all the moisture has been absorbed.
After the rice has simmered, it is removed from the heat and allowed to rest for several minutes before removing the lid. Steam holes should appear in the rice at relatively regular intervals and no moisture should remain in the pan. Before serving, rice must be puffed with a fork.
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